For absorbent products such as incontinence shields there are high requirements that they are discreet, soft and comfortable to wear and at the same time have a reliable security against leakage.
Incontinence shields have to be sized and configured to fit in the limited space available in the crotch portion of the underwear so the products are by necessity designed with a relatively small width. For this reason, a particular problem with such products is that they may leak at the side edges, before the full absorption capacity of the product has been utilized.
Side leakage may occur as a consequence of absorbed fluid being dispersed equally fast in all directions from the point where the fluid enters the product. This will lead to the fluid escaping the product at the side edges before being distributed to the end portions. Another cause of side leakage may be when the intake capacity of the product is insufficient to allow all fluid that is exuded onto the product to directly enter inside the product. Instead, the fluid will flow on the top sheet and out over the side edges where it can leak out and soil the wearer's clothing.
The urine fluid is normally not exuded in a steady flow but as sudden gushes of relatively large volume under high pressure and during a very short time period.
Accordingly, it would be desirable if the incontinence shield was able to receive and contain the emitted fluid with corresponding speed.
Although the prior art liquid inlet material may alleviate the side leakage problem to some extent, there is still a need for further improvements of the side leakage security for the kind of absorbent article that is worn in the crotch portion of an undergarment.